Is it too late?
by QueenofRhymes
Summary: Peter has been acting quite rudely lately. He and Sam fight because of that more often than it is normal for them. What happens when they have an argument right before an important mission? How will that affect their team work? And more importantly - will they be able to say the right things before it's too late?
1. Chapter 1

_Is it too late__?_

Peter Parker walked through the hallways on the tri-carrier. He walked passed agents, scientists, other superheroes, but he saw no one. The only thing his eyes were seeing right was now was red. He couldn't believe it. His mind couldn't comprehend what Sam had done on their mission. Spiderman had needed him to be there just this once but Nova had abandoned his teammates and for what – to save a woman who was bound to be saved by another agent in a few seconds if not minutes. It was true that what his teammate had done was quite brave and what any hero in his place would've done but that didn't matter or mean anything. He was a superhero, yes! But he was their teammate first and when the team was endangered you should be trying to help your teammates not leave them to deal with a crazy villain that could shoot fire from his arms.

Peter sighed as he neared the part of the tri-carrier where the injured ones were held for observation. He entered and heard the glass doors slide until they were fully closed. The teen took off his mask and all of his fury vanished when he saw his wounded teammate.

"Hey Danny."

"Hello Peter." Danny replied.

"How's your wound?" Peter asked and though he had tried to mask his guilt, he didn't manage to do it quick enough.

"It is fine. My arm doesn't hurt as much as it did on the battlefield. I'm afraid I won't be able to fight alongside you guys for awhile."

"Don't apologize for something that isn't your fault." Peter said thought gritted teeth.

"Don't blame yourself for something you aren't responsible for committing." Danny replied and smiled as he saw that Peter had indeed heard him right.

"H-how did you…?"Peter began to question but Danny cut him in and explained:

"I can see the guilt written all over your face. But honestly you shouldn't think it is your fault. Our enemy shot me after I tried to defeat him on my own. It's my own fault for trying to be brave."

Peter clenched his fists as he mumbled:

"You weren't the reckless one."

Danny knew who his leader was referring to and he immediately opened his mouth intending to defend Sam but Peter put his hand up, silencing him. Spiderman then closed his eyes and after reopening them he smiled and said:

"Get some rest."

"I will, but Peter-" Danny tried to advise Peter not to do anything he might regret later but the other teen interrupted him again.

"Don't worry Danny. I won't do anything reckless."

"You'd better. Believe me Sam has his reasons."

"He'd better." Peter said simply as he exited the ward.

Danny sighed and closed his eyes, praying this wouldn't turn into another horrible argument between two of his best friends. He honestly hated how oblivious those two were and yet how easy it was for their relationship to sour. Sometimes he even wondered how Sam and Peter had managed to put their differences aside and try not to tease each other so much. Surprisingly that had worked and now one could even say they were good friends, but the occasional quarrels did happen and Danny had the feeling this one was going to have terrible consequences for their friendship.

**!*!*!*QueenofRhymes*!*!*! **

Peter stormed down the hallways once again and headed straight to his next destination – the training room. The teen superhero reached it soon and once again his blood boiled because normally he would see everyone in it working their asses off and trying to become stronger, but now only Sam was here and he was still failing at keeping his shield up for more than a few seconds and fighting off the robots. Sometimes Peter wondered how his friend managed to stay on their team. After all, they were destined to become the next Avengers as Fury but mostly Coulsin had predicted and there was no room for mistakes or weakness.

"I see you're still failing at mastering those new moves, Bucket-head." Peter said and smirked when he witnessed Nova jump. Oh, he knew he was being a jackass but he loved it when his teammate did that. It was quite entertaining.

Nova managed to recover soon and destroy the rest of the robots with a few blasts of cosmic energy. He then landed on the ground and took off his helmet. Spiderman took off his mask and now they could both say what they wanted to the other's face.

"You can't still be pissed about the accident right Webs?" Sam asked with a small frown on his face.

If it were another time Peter would space off and think how cute Sam looked when his brows furrowed, but now wasn't one of them. Now he had to act like the team leader and scold one of his teammates for risking the lives of the other members for no reason.

"I am more than angry Bucket-head! I am furious!" Peter yelled and succeeded in making Sam cringe.

"Alright, webs, but I think you need to take a chill pill. I mean I did save her life and you guys handled the villain on your own. No one's severely injured so I don't see what the problem is." Sam stated as a matter-of-factly. That only made his leader even angrier and pretty soon Nova was sure he was going to regret it.

Once he heard those words Peter's bubble burst.

"How can you say such a thing?!" Peter questioned and then continued, "Danny won't be able to use his hand for the next five days or maybe even more. Luke nearly got himself killed twice in order to save Danny and Ava. Ava is shattered right now because she had to cover for you and attack that bastard from the air. Both of them are dead tired Sam! I am barely holding myself right now and you-"

"I what? I'm fine and aren't exhausted like the rest you?" Sam asked angry at his leader for making such stupid assumptions. He was sick and tired of everything himself. All of the others were excelling and had become so stronger in barely a year while he was still stuck mastering this stupid shield because he was the only one who could create a defense. While Sam was an excellent fighter, he was a terrible defender and only because he lacked that skill Fury had decided it would be useful for him to focus solely on that.

Peter's eyes widened. He knew Sam was having a hard time but he didn't even once consider his friend's condition. He hadn't even asked why he did it. Surely Sam had a proper reason for saving that woman even though she wasn't in much danger. Of course, Peter decided not to listen to his better judgment and common sense and go on being the jerk he had been for the past couple of minutes.

"Oh come on, how can mastering one stupid shield take you more than a month? Either you're extremely stupid or you aren't trying hard enough. And just for the record a true hero doesn't put his teammates and the lives of innocents in danger." Peter countered.

Sam's eyes widened. They soon returned to their normal form but the reaction, which followed, wasn't the one Peter had expected. The web slinger thought Sam was going to burst. Spiderman was certain Nova would call him names, yell at him, maybe even punch him or shoot him with balls of cosmic energy, but he didn't consider even the slightest that disbelief would be the thing clouding Sam's eyes.

"How can you be so cruel and selfish, Parker?"

"What?!" Now it was Peter's turn to wear a disbelieving look.

"You heard me right. How can you expect me to abandon a citizen whose life is endangered?" Sam questioned and met Peter's gaze. The thing he saw there shocked him. He wanted understanding or compassion or maybe even guilt to be written on his leader's face but the cold hollow those blue orbs had made Nova freeze completely.

"She wasn't in any real danger. The building she was in had only ten floors and she was on the third. The fire had just started on the **tenth **floor, meaning it had plenty of time to reach her. Second, S.H.I.E.L.D.'s agents were on their way and would've saved her after five, maybe even less minutes. So tell me Sam why did you leave us in order to save someone who apparently doesn't need it?" Peter finished with a mock grin on his face.

Sam clenched his fists and put his head down. Peter thought it was caused by shame or guilt and was about to continue torturing his teammate and try to make him see that it was his damn fault the rest of the team was in the state they were when Sam answered barely audibly:

"Because she is my mother."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

_Is it too late__?_

Peter's mouth nearly flung open. Spiderman couldn't believe what his ears had just heard. He had to be deaf or something similar because if he wasn't, then he would be the biggest scum of the Earth and that was something Peter Parker wasn't and would never be.

Sam waited patiently for Peter to process this new piece of information and hoped that it would lessen his leader's anger. During the time he waited, he thought about the accident. He knew that it was his duty to serve the citizens and do anything in his power in order to save them, but Nova was also aware of his duty to his team and the necessity of always being there for his teammates especially during battle. He knew what he had done was reckless and unnecessary from some people's point of view, but considering it was his mother that should be enough to justify his actions. At least that was Sam Alexander thought but what came out of Peter's mouth was entirely different.

"So what?" Peter asked.

Sam's eyes widened. Now it was his turn to consider deafness being responsible for hearing such outrageous things. Nova couldn't comprehend what was happening. All he knew was that the person who was standing before him wasn't the same one he had fallen for. The only thing Sam could do was hope for the old Spider-man to appear out of nowhere and show the same compassion and understanding he possessed.

Peter just laughed at Sam's look of disbelief. The team leader then put on a stoic expression and said as seriously and as coldly as he could:

"You mean to tell me that you left us all alone to deal with a super villain just so you could save your mother who wasn't even in the need of being rescued?"

Sam's eyes widened even more. He didn't know why Peter had just asked that. The only thing he could do was nod and wait for his leader to continue.

Peter smiled bitterly and then returned to scolding Sam.

"Do you know how utterly irresponsible that makes you appear?" Peter started but before Sam could answer he continued, "The worst part is that you risked our lives to save a family member, who didn't seem endangered at all. I think it's high time you learned a valuable lesson Sam and that is not and I repeat not to allow your emotions to cloud your judgment."

Sam opened his mouth to say something but Peter put his hand up. Nova complied with his leader's wishes for the first time in a long time. Spiderman was surprised but dismissed it. He also ignored the stab of guilt and pain he felt when his eyes met with Sam's. In those orbs he could read nothing but anguish, despair, betrayal and most of all anger. Peter wanted to apologize. He wished he could take it all back and ask, no beg for Sam's forgiveness, but he brushed his instincts aside.

"I also reckon you should try another battle tactic and think before you act next time your tiny little brain decides to give you another brilliant idea or proposes a way to show off and try to become the team's leader." Peter added. The look he received destroyed every last bit of satisfaction he felt.

"Do you seriously think I would do something like that to show off? Do you honestly have so little faith in me, Parker?! I thought that by now you would've learned that I would never in a million years try to steal place. I started to recognize you as our team's leader a long time ago. For heaven's sake it's been almost three years since you joined our team! Do you really think that low of me?" Sam asked and started panting. His face had become slightly red from all the yelling. His throat was dry and it hurt a little when he breathed. He was delighted despite all that for he had managed to release all of his pent up emotions in that monologue.

Peter was left speechless. He knew that it was stupid to propose such a preposterous assumption, but did he listen to his common sense? No, he didn't and now he had to face up to the current situation and suffer the consequences of his rash decisions. Spiderman, however, wasn't one to let people go easily and now he was just about to prove just how stubborn he could be. With another one of his now strangely infamous smirks he answered:

"Thank you for finally realizing where you belong, Bucket-head. I also want to express how grateful I am for deciding to stop your ridiculous and quite entertaining attempts at stealing my place in this team. And to answer both of your questions – yes I do have little faith in you because I don't see how things can be different."

"What do you mean?" Sam asked obviously quite perplexed yet his mask betrayed how much Peter's answer had hurt him.

With a sigh Peter continued in spite of his inner voice which was begging him to stop and say what he really wanted to tell Sam. His better judgment pleaded for him to reconsider what he was about to say, to try and think about how things might go on once those words were uttered. His heart needed him to consider how much pain he was going to inflict on Sam with his next words, but Peter dismissed all of them and did what he had advised Sam against doing – acted first, then thought.

"Are you really that stupid, Bucket-head? I do consider you quite dim-witted but the lack of intelligence you are now presenting is quite shocking and frightful. I suggest you start working on improving that fault. As for the answer to you question – tell me how will you be able to trust someone who can't even conjure a small shield considering the fact that said person was given more than a month to master it?"

Peter knew it was wrong rub that failure into Sam's face. He knew he had gone over the line a long time ago but now once he was well aware of the impact those words had had, it was too late. Sam was obviously far too conflicted and down-hearted to form a coherent reply. His friend was apparently too hurt and angry to follow the conversation or even participate in it. The thing that stung the most, however, was the fact that Sam was in so much pain he couldn't even look Peter in the eye let alone stay in the same room as him. That was why Nova left the room and nearly broke those glass doors, which had apparently decided to open up more slowly at the worst time possible. Sam exited the training room and then started walking down a hallway without knowing where it was going to take him.

Peter could only stay there motionless and allow his gaze to follow Sam's every move; his ears to listen to his retreating footsteps, his eyes to see his fleeing form and watch that gentle blue light disappear into the darkness of the night completely.

**Disclaimer: I own nothing obviously...**

**A/N: A response to your lovely reviews:**

**TheGirlInTheBack****: Here's the update. And thank you for being so supportive and for the compliment. : )**

**Sora: Hon, I can't tell you how grateful I am for the wonderful review. First, about the angst part – I don't think it's going to be that much….It depends on how you see it. For me it's not that much, but for you (when you read it, of course :D) might be different. I find it hard to keep Danny in character myself. He seems the hardest because to this day I still haven't managed to write him the way he should be written. The others are difficult as well but not as frustrating :D. As for the information about Sam's not being able to see his mother or sister until he has learned to control the helmet I fear I didn't know about that fact when I started writing the story. The reason for that is that I haven't read the comics yet. Thank you for the kind words. I decided to give another view of their relationship. This is AU, of course, so everything that happens here is just a result from my imagination. Don't apologize for the rambling. I ramble a lot. I did it even now. Consider me and yourself as wonderful examples for people who love to ramble. And trust me writers here love it because the more you ramble, the longer the review becomes and this way the happiness it will give said authors increases as well. **

**Forgive me you two if I've complained about my exams a lot. **

**Now I want to say something to both of you and to everyone who has been reading my stories about Spiderman and Nova so far. I want to thank all of you. Seriously you cannot believe how happy you make me just by reading them but if you want to make me smile like a huge idiot and start jumping on a random bed or dancing like a crazy idiot(thank you ****TheGirlInTheBack**** and ****Sora****), then I suggest you either follow or favourite, or the best way to do this is to review. **

**For the short chapter and long author's note I apologize. **

**And now with tears in my eyes**

**I say goodbye and take my leave**

**And I want you to know that I believe **

**That someone will make me grin like a Cheshire cat again. **

**But until then I would like say: **

**Thank you for reading and supporting me. Please stay forever this way.**

**Until next time I update and/or post a story my fellow readers,**

_~ QueenofRhymes ~_


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

_Is it too late__? _

Sam flew as fast as he could, trying to get as far away from Peter as possible. Tears stung his eyes, but he managed to blink them away. He had endured a lot of things so a little disrespect and rudeness couldn't be that hard to overcome, right? Wrong. It wasn't the foul behavior or spiteful comments or insensitivity that sent Sam over the edge. It was the person who said them and acted that way. The fact that Peter Parker had been so cruel was something Sam still couldn't comprehend let alone deal with. That was why he ran away for he like many others didn't have the strength to face up to his problems. But this wasn't running away, it was retreating. He wasn't hiding, he was taking his time. He needed to run everything that had happened through his head in order to be able to find a solution. The only problem was that he had been flying mindlessly for nearly an hour now and still he had no clue as to how he was going to overcome this obstacle in his relationship with Peter.

Hell! He couldn't do it anymore. He was shattered both physically and mentally and needed some air. That was why he went to the only place he could think of. He flew a bit more and soon landed on a nice cliff near the pleasant ocean. The fresh air managed to clear the storm in his head. The gentle crash of the waves against the rocks stilled the fast rate of his heart. The warm wind soothed his aching muscles. He closed his eyes and allowed nature to cure him once again. He soon sat down and started to relax. After a few minutes he was a lot calmer and could finally think straight.

First of all, he had to make sure he knew who's fault it was. Normally, driven by anger, he would've blamed Peter, but now with a clear mind he concluded that they were both to blame. He was wrong to bail on them like that but Peter wasn't right when he criticized him too much. It was one thing to point out what he had done badly or what on his part had caused trouble during the mission, but pointlessly making spiteful comments was just downright heartless and the complete opposite way a proper team leader should act.

Secondly, it was his mother. Sam was certain that if it had been aunt May, Peter wouldn't have given it a second thought and would've rushed to save her right away. That meant that he hadn't done something terrible, though he had to point out that he had acted a bit recklessly. He should've warned them first. That was a huge mistake and that was partially why Danny was now injured. After all, he was the one that had witnessed Sam fly away and was the first one to try and fill in the missing member. He had fought for two and risked his life in order for Peter not to notice Sam's absence and that was something heroic. Nova knew he would always be grateful to his dear friend for stepping up for him and doing all he could to save him.

Then there was the problem with where his duty lied. His heart was something Sam could not control and he was certain very few, if not anyone, could do it. Despite that, he had always been taught that following your heart was the one thing a hero should always do because although common sense showed you the best way, it wasn't always the right one, for you at least. He smiled. Even though he was part of a team, his heart would always come first and he would listen to it no matter that.

Just before he could concentrate more on the problem with his shield a huge explosion came from the caves near the cliff where Sam was. He opened his eyes and gasped. Before him a blood-red moon was shining. His eyes widened and fear crawled into his heart. A red moon meant only one thing – death. Before he had a chance to ponder on the subject Fury immerged on the small screen of his watch and asked:

"Where are you?"

"Near the place where the explosion came from." Sam answered simply.

"Good. Stay where you are. I'm sending back up." Fury said and soon disappeared as suddenly as he had come. Sam sighed. It seemed he wasn't going to reach a solution tonight. He wondered who he was going to work with. Danny was not available for missions. Ava and Luke were probably too tired to do anything but sleep. Peter was the only possibility but he himself was exhausted. Despite that statement, something inside Sam's gut told him his leader was going to come soon.

_Great. I just hope that moon isn't connected in any way to him._

**!*!*!*QueenofRhymes*!*!*!**

Peter sighed as he exited the training room. He knew he had gone too far but was well aware that he couldn't do anything right now. The only solution was to allow both him and Sam cool down, sleep it off and possibly talk about it in the morning.

Because he didn't want to go home, Peter decided to check on Danny again. It was still early and he knew his friend hadn't gone to sleep yet. Thankfully he was right.

"Hey." Peter mumbled barely audibly as he lay down on the empty bed next to Danny's with his head facing the roof.

"You talked to him, didn't you?" Danny asked in an even tone.

The only thing Peter could do was nod. He didn't have the heart to say it aloud and confirm Danny's suspicions that he hadn't heaved his friend's advice and was now suffering the consequences of his rash decisions.

"That was him flying away then." Danny said.

Those words made a lump form in Peter's throat and he looked away, unable to face his friend's eyes. He knew Danny wasn't the type to judge or criticize. He knew his friend would never leave him in his time of need. He was well aware that it was probably for the best to discuss this difficult situation with someone but he couldn't do it. He was drowning in self-loathing and didn't want to be convinced otherwise. He didn't want anyone to tell him that it wasn't entirely his fault. He knew it wasn't true but it was easier to blame himself than to think about how a small fraction belonged to Sam for that would mean thinking about him and that was something Peter didn't have the energy to do right now. All he wanted to do was lose himself in guilt and anger and soon it happened.

Hatred and fury found their way into his heart and mind and started devouring. The web slinger allowed for them to go further and further. He welcomed the sweet little uncontrollable surge to kick and punch and scream but didn't allow himself to move. No, it was his fault and now he was going to suffer his punishment in the worst way possible. Nothing and no one could make him change his mind and Danny knew that. Peter was grateful to his friend for leaving him alone with his thoughts. Pretty soon they both fell asleep. One because he was simply too tired to stay awake any longer, while the other - because he had allowed the demons to win but for the first time Peter wasn't sure whether that was for the better or for the worst.

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. **

**A/N: I am grateful for the reviews. **

**For reading and supporting me I humbly thank you. **

**Now I shall take me leave. **

**Please review. Thank you!**

**Until next time I update and/or post a story my fellow readers, **

_~ QueenofRhymes ~_


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

_Is it too late__?_

Peter awoke to an angry Fury tapping his foot expectantly. It was quite a funny thing to see because the formidable agent hardly ever did anything comical but Peter was in no condition to make a comment on that. He instead groaned and willed himself to get up despite the splitting headache he had got from all the thinking. Just before Peter could ask if there was anything wrong, Fury told or rather ordered him to go to the beach. Spiderman was about to check his ears to see if he had actually heard him right but Fury's death glare scared him too much. It seemed that even he felt the huge pressure every last of the S.H.I.E.L.D. agents had been under for the past few weeks.

"There was an explosion in one of the caves. I'm sending both you and Nova to investigate."

At the mention of Sam's hero name Peter's head shot up.

"W-what?"

"Listen, I don't have time for your whining or complaining. Just bear with him for two hours, maybe even less, get the job done and you'll be rid of him."

"But-"

"No buts! Now go!" Fury said as he exited the hospital room.

Peter rubbed the back of his head, thinking about the way Nick Fury had acted. He did tend to be a bit harsh but this was too much even for him. Perhaps, things really had gone out of control. Peter sighed. It seemed he was going to have to deal with the circumstances sooner than he had anticipated.

Suddenly his watch vibrated and the screen lit up. Peter looked at it. He saw a red spot on what appeared to be a map. Spiderman sighed yet again and rubbed the sleep off his eyes. Looks like he wasn't going to get a good night's sleep after all.

**!*!*!*QueenofRhymes*!*!*!**

Sam rubbed his eyes. He had been fighting against fatigue and sleep for the past thirty minutes. He was just about to give up and fall asleep when he heard someone swinging in the air. Said person soon landed with a thud not too far behind him and appeared to be hesitant with their next steps. Nova sighed. It appeared that he had been right. Spider-man was the backup. Putting his anger and pain inside a box and locking it, he turned around and started walking towards his leader. He stopped a few feet away from him and said:

"The explosion came from that cave."

After that Sam pointed to a bunch of rocks with a huge hole in its center. He then started walking towards it, not even bothering to greet his teammate or voice his thoughts. He was dead tired and didn't have the energy to deal with another spiteful comment or apology, coming from a guilty heart. No, right now he needed to blow off some steam or at least focus on something else and that something else was in the cave, waiting for them. Unfortunately, Peter had other plans.

"Nova, wait." Spiderman said as he ran after his teammate.

Sam groaned but stopped. He waited for Peter to catch up with him and gave him his undivided attention.

"Listen, I'm-"

"Don't bother." Sam cut him off and started walking again. Peter frowned at the display of hostility, but didn't give up. He ran after Sam and once he was next to Nova, he asked:

"Why are you doing this, Sam?"

Sam snorted and said with a mocking grin:

"Why you say?"

Peter looked at him confused by the coldness and sharpness of that tone that was so gentle and broken hours ago. Spiderman was about to voice his bewilderment when Sam continued:

"Is it because of the unfair way you treated or because I'm a jerk? I don't know but I bet you do."

Peter frowned. He knew he had acted like an asshole but Sam wasn't even giving him a chance to make amends. How was one supposed to apologize when they weren't even given a chance to do so? Peter didn't know but he wasn't about to give up.

"Listen, Sam, I know I acted like a jerk, but can you please just give me a chance to explain?"

"Oh, you mean like you gave me?" Sam asked in a mocking tone yet again.

Peter stared at his teammate in disbelief. It was true that he had treated him unfairly, but Sam was giving him a hard time as well and that wasn't the way to solve a problem. Spiderman sighed and tried to get rid of his anger or at least make it disappear for awhile. It seemed the emotion had heard him which Peter was grateful for. Now he could talk to Sam without the fear of exploding and lashing out on him like he had done before.

"I'm sorry, okay? I had a really tough week and I would appreciate it if you-"

"If I what? Don't treat you the way you deserve? Hah, fat chance, Web-head." Sam replied and quickened his pace.

Peter's mouth opened slightly at the harsh tone. He soon closed it, however, because he didn't have the right to accuse Sam of mistreating him. After all, he had lashed out on him without a proper reason and now he shouldn't be expecting Nova to welcome him with arms wide open. However, he did find one thing unfair and that was the fact that Sam didn't even allow him to speak let alone apologize or try to explain things. The next thing that happened surprised him greatly. Sam had come back and was now standing before him, not looking him in the eyes, however. That hurt Peter but he was grateful that his teammate had decided to listen to him. The words that came out of his mouth killed the last bit of hope Peter held.

"Listen…..I-I know you're sorry and I appreciate the fact that you reached out to me, but I don't think I'll be able to say anything I won't regret later if I allow you to talk about what happened."

Nova then turned around and started walking yet again. Peter tried one last time once he had caught up with him.

"Please Sam just hear me out."

"I thought I told you not to talk about it!" Sam screamed. He then closed his eyes and breathed in and out. His tense shoulders seemed to relax and soon he reopened his eyes. For the first time Sam looked his leader directly in the eye and what Peter saw broke his heart – not anger, not fury, not disappointment, not pain, not even a mix of any those. Those green eyes were a dark hallow of what they had been earlier that day and it pained Peter to know that he had caused the disappearance of their light.

"Let's just forget about it for now and get the job done."

"But Sam-"

"Please Peter." Sam was begging him and Peter couldn't fight anymore. He surrendered and nodded. Sam smiled and added: "We'll talk about this in the morning, okay? I'm sure we'll have plenty of time to talk about it then."

Peter nodded yet again and said:

"Yeah, you're probably right."

With that they went to investigate the cave.

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. **

**IMPORTANTO! Please read the author's note : ) **

**A/N: Thank you for the reviews and support. I hope you liked this chapter. Also, I have a request – I have a poll up on my profile. Can you go and check it out****?**** I'll give you a virtual cookie if you do. Also please review! **

**Arigato! **

**Until next time I update and/or post a story, my fellow readers, **

_~ QueenofRhymes ~_


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

_Is it too late__?_

Peter followed Sam and went inside the cave. It was dark but soon flashlights could be seen. The two heroes quickened their pace and were soon near the place where the rocks had split the cave into two parts. They heard voices yelling for help on the other side of the door. The two soon started removing the rocks, but they were far too many and after a few minutes, Peter sighed in frustration.

"We can't keep going like this!" Spiderman screamed.

Sam stopped working and asked in an even tone:

"What do you propose we do then?"

Peter was taken aback by the calmness in his teammate's voice, but quickly dismissed it. He had to focus on finding a solution and after carefully thinking things through, his eyes brightened. Sam noticed this and hoped for his sake that his leader had thought thoroughly about their next move.

"Can you carry things?" Peter questioned.

Sam was just about to make a sarcastic comment, when Spiderman held out his hand. That, surprisingly, quieted him down.

"Let me rephrase that – can you make a big enough shield or something…..that can remove most of these rocks without hurting the people?"

Peter knew the shield- thing was still a sensitive topic to discuss, but this was their only chance and the quickest way to get those people out of there. To his relief, Sam nodded after much hesitation. The only thing that bothered Peter was the uncertainty in his teammate's eyes. He dismissed it and focused on having faith in the other's abilities.

Sam made a few steps and was now standing in front of the rocks. He closed his eyes and soon warm blue light surrounded him. It then became brighter and began to leave its owner's body, forming what appeared to be one half of a sphere. The concave object was soon completely conjured and Nova reopened his eyes. They were shining as brightly as the full moon. The light's beauty and mysteriousness took Peter's breath away. The power in his teammate's hands made his eyes widen and his mouth hang slightly open. Nothing but amazement, pride and respect could be seen in Spiderman's orbs.

Suddenly around half of the rocks were taken away by Sam and Peter could see the people behind the remainder of the rocks. Spiderman waited for his friend to exit the cave and stash the things he was carrying somewhere until Peter went in and helped those who weren't severely injured out of the cave. Nova soon came back and he together with his leader carried the people who were too wounded to walk somewhere safe. They thought there weren't any people left, but someone proved them wrong.

"Norman! Norman! Has anyone seen Norman?!" A worried man, around his sixties kept asking anyone he laid his eyes on, but received no answer in return. The fear in his tired grey orbs intensified with each passing second and the thought of having lost this person, who he deeply cared about, obviously, got nearer to the surface as time went by.

Sam quickly got back inside the cave once he heard said man's shouts, while Peter decided to ask him some questions. Spiderman knew it was useless to try and convince Sam otherwise and considered it better to question the man for more details.

"Excuse me, sir." Peter said, effectively gaining the man's attention. "Can you tell me more about this person you are looking for?"

The man's expression became less worried but the fear was still there.

"S-sure. Norman is my son. Can you please find him?"

Peter wanted to scream in frustration yet again. This person was obviously worried out of his mind, but giving him so little information was not going to be of any help. Fortunately, the man continued:

"He is twenty years old. His hair's dark brown and his eyes sky blue. He was wearing a black shirt and grey pants the last time I saw him. He was working not too far from the exit. Before the explosion he was still there."

"Alright, can you tell me what triggered it?"

The question obviously struck a nerve for the man before Peter furrowed his eyebrows and his skin became red.

"What does that have to do with finding my son?!"

"Sir, my teammate is now searching for more survivors. I am sure that if he found something or someone, he will come rushing back. Now, I need you to calm down and tell me what you remember before the explosion happened. Can you do that, please?"

The man seemed hesitant at first, even dubious, but when Peter told him that the faster he answered, the faster Spiderman would be able to go and probably help find his son, he gave in.

"My son was digging, but my son hit a place where there was . . . there was . . . there was….." The man choked. Tears welled up in his eyes and Peter couldn't help it. He put a hand on the poor guy's shoulder and said:

"Methane, right?"

The miner nodded and welcomed the sweet release tears brought him, while Peter walked away from him and inside the cave to see what had taken Sam so long.

**!*!*!*QueenofRhymes*!*!*!**

Peter walked inside and quickly went over the remainder of the rocks. He then walked further into the darkness and soon saw a small circle of blue light not too far away. It wasn't moving and that made Peter worried so he quickened his pace. Spiderman soon saw Sam and what appeared to be someone lying on the ground.

"How is he?" Peter asked.

Sam looked at him and shook his head. Nova then lowered it and closed his eyes. Peter did the same. They then picked the body up and started walking towards the exit. They were near the rocks when the ground beneath their feet started shaking.

"Run!" Sam screamed.

The two moved as fast as they could, but as nearer they got to the exit of the cave, the quicker the shaking of the earth became. The earthquake was so strong that it made more rocks start falling down.

"What are we going to do?!" Sam asked in a worried voice.

Peter did the only thing he could. He threw the lifeless body out of the cave to the waiting man. Sam and Peter were near the exit and were going to escape if they had three more seconds. Unfortunately, the walls of the cave came crashing down and they didn't have enough time to reach it. Rocks fell and fell, making both of them disappear inch by inch from the eyes of the miners, who could only stare, unable to do anything else.

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. If I did, I would be filthy rich and would be having an awesome time on Hawaii. **

**Now, what are your thoughts on this ending****? ****Please leave a review, telling me what you think. **

**Now a small preview of the next chapter (or a teaser as I like to call it): **"There has to be another way."

"There is no other way." He said using the last bits of his power to push or rather throw the other of his soon-to-be grave. He then smiled and added:


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

_Is it too late__? _

Sam cursed under his breath. He could not comprehend how this had happened. A few seconds ago they were about to exit the cave. The exit was right before them. The lights of the city were shining in the distance and gave him hope that soon he would be able to return home and crash on the couch or something similar for he couldn't spend the night with Peter in the same room. Now. Let's just say he wasn't sure whether he would be able to see the light again.

A groan startled Nova. He looked down and smiled. Peter started to shift and soon he even managed to speak, though his voice was a bit raspy.

"W-what…" Peter tried to say, but he soon started coughing.

Sam's eyes widened. He quickly said:

"Don't speak. It might further damage your wounds. I don't know how badly injured you are but I suggest you try to keep quiet unless you want to choke on your words again."

Peter coughed a bit more and remained silent for awhile, letting Sam explain what had just occurred.

"There was a tremor. It was strong enough to make the ground start shaking and with that the rocks start to fall. It happened way too fast and not even your spidey senses could've saved us. That's why you shouldn't blame yourself." Sam finished and had decided to add the last sentence because he saw his friend's body tense. Nova guessed that guilt was written all over Peter's face, which was still covered by his mask.

A few minutes passed in utter silence. Neither knew what to say. Either they were far too tired or were simply scared of the outcome. After all, knowing you might die one day was one thing, but being on the brink of death was whole other story.

"W-what are we going to do?" Peter managed to ask, but his voice was barely audible.

Sam frowned but decided against advising Peter not to speak. The reasons for that choice were for one because Peter was far too stubborn for his own good and last but not least, because he was selfish. He needed to hear the other's voice just to make sure he was still awake and….as much as he hated to even think about it – alive. Sam needed some other kind of reassurance except the rise and fall of his leader's chest.

"Honestly, I don't know." Sam answered truthfully.

"How'd you manage to do it?" Peter asked, his voice having got better.

Sam furrowed his brows for a second, but soon realized what Peter was referring to. Nova smirked and said:

"Didn't you know? I act before I think."

Peter was perplexed and questioned what the hell that had to do with Sam having succeeded in conjuring up a shield. Nova sighed and decided it would be better to explain things thoroughly to Peter.

"Before, when I was training, I was thinking too much. I imagined it, but couldn't feel it. I pictured it in my head to the last perfect detail, but wasn't able to bring out the energy I needed to make it real. When I saw those rocks start falling I forgot about fear, low self-esteem, worry and doubt. I even managed not to hesitate. I guess that putting your life in danger triggered some kind of unknown force inside of me. I felt a sudden flow of so much energy that screamed to be released and I knew what I had to do with it."

Peter listened carefully to Sam's explanation and pictured everything in his head. He had remembered the sudden shake of the earth and how quick the fall of so many rocks had followed. Spiderman recalled someone scream his name and tell him to duck and dodge but the only thing that followed was darkness. Apparently he had been hit by a rock on the head and had been knocked out. If it hadn't been for Sam's quick actions, he would probably be dead right now. As that realization hit him, he grasped another fact. He had to show his gratitude in some way.

"I guess that if you hadn't done that, I wouldn't be here right now." Peter mumbled.

"Awww, is that your way of thanking me, webs?" Sam questioned, smirking yet again.

Peter blushed slightly for Sam did look quite attractive when he smirked like that and even the dim blue light of his shield couldn't hinder it. The redness was due to their close proximity as well. Peter was thankful that his mask was on otherwise Sam would've noticed the effect he had on him and probably would've teased him to no end.

"Thanks." Peter muttered.

Nova had heard it but being the cocky guy he was sometimes, he wanted to hear it again. That and the fact that Peter was embarrassed beyond compare were the reasons why Sam wanted his leader to repeat it.

Peter sighed but decided to comply.

"Thank you for saving my life Sam."

Nova was taken aback by the easiness of receiving it. Normally it would've taken a lot more persuasion on his part in order to make Peter even consider it and ten times more to make him actually say it. Something was off and Sam had a feeling he knew what it was.

"You think we're going to die, aren't you?" Sam questioned, following Peter's every move.

"What? No. I said simply because I, well I….uh…" Peter tried to come up with an excuse for his unusual sincerity but try as he might, he had nothing and Sam saw right through it. Spiderman hated the rare moments when Nova decided to be perceptive and observant.

"Listen to me, Parker. We are not and I repeat not going to die. Do you hear me?" Sam questioned, not bothering to hide the harshness of his tone.

"How can you be so sure?" Peter asked, making Sam sigh.

"Because I just do, okay?" Sam said, but noticed that it wasn't enough to convince Peter. That was why he added, "Don't worry. I'll make sure you get out of here alive."

Peter's eyes widened at the words. Sam promised him something Peter wasn't sure he could keep. He was dubious about the whole we're going to survive thing. A part of him told him that S.H.I.E.L.D. was probably currently working on ways to get them out of here, but another rational part of him warned him that one of them wasn't going to make it and Peter didn't want that someone to be Sam.

"I'm sorry Sam, but I don't believe you. Again I don't know how you can be so certain because unless you can make your shield explode or heal us, we are going to die." Peter said.

Sam frowned at his leader's pessimistic attitude. Normally Peter would be the one giving speeches about how they were going to pull through but apparently something had broken his spirit. Sam then examined Peter, not caring that his scrutiny made his companion feel slightly uncomfortable. Nova's eyes fell on a deep cut on his friend's left shoulder. A sharp piece of solid rock had wound up there. The wound was currently bleeding slowly. It wasn't severe, but if it got infected, it could become fatal and that was something neither of the two heroes wanted.

"Does it hurt?" Sam asked, ignoring the slight blurriness his vision was engulfed in for a moment.

Peter blinked a few times and soon his eyes fell on his wound. He wouldn't admit the fact that the pain was indeed excruciating, when he moved or breathed in deeply. He didn't want to worry Nova any further so he simply answered:

"Not even the slightest."

"Peter?"

"What?" Peter asked confused.

"Don't lie to me. I know it's killing you when you move." Sam stated, making his leader frown.

Peter cursed. How could Sam be so observant? How could he see past his lies and notice the last detail or change in his position? And most importantly – why had Nova decided to turn into a copy of Danny right now?

"We need to bandage it." Sam said, making Peter huff in annoyance.

"Thanks for the info, captain obvious. Next time you might say we're trapped under dozens of rocks."

Sam rolled his eyes. He knew it was the obvious thing to do. The only problem with bandaging it was that they couldn't disinfect it with anything but the upside was that it would at least stop the bleeding and further contamination or at least that was what Nova hoped would happen.

"Rip a piece of my costume." Sam said or rather ordered.

Peter looked at him dumbfounded as his cheeks were once again tinted with red. He continued to stare at his friend still quite shocked, while the rosy color subsided. Peter was glad it had diminished faster than the previous one and that he could once again concentrate on something else rather than just on the incredible feeling he had whenever Sam's breath ghosted over his covered lips.

"Why would I do that?" Peter asked, glad he hadn't stuttered.

Sam rolled his eyes, muttering:

"And Ava calls me an idiot."

"What was that?" Peter questioned.

"Nothing. Listen, Web-head, stop asking questions and just do it. You need to cover the wound with something." Sam stated.

Peter rolled his eyes.

"Now I know why Ava calls you the idiot. Why would I tear a part of your costume when I can from mine?" Peter asked.

"Because I'm up in the air while you're lying on the dirty ground and this way you might infect your abdominal injury."

"H-how did you…?" Peter questioned, becoming speechless once again.

Sam wanted to pinch the bridge of his nose. He remembered that even one movement could lead to the shield's diminishing so he had to fight off said urge. Instead he huffed in annoyance and tilted his head to the left.

"Yours or mine?" Peter asked.

"Mine, of course."

"Of course." Spiderman mimicked Sam's actions and tried to impersonate him, earning himself a glare from his friend. Peter winced once he moved his head which made Sam's angry look disappear completely only to be replaced by worry and surprisingly concern. Peter couldn't believe that he could see the latter in his friend's current expression.

"What?" Sam asked, looking confused.

"Nothing, it's just…"

"What?!" Sam questioned, becoming angry.

"I didn't know you could be this, well, caring."

Sam's eyes widened and his mouth parted slightly. He then closed it and tried to chase off the stupid blush that began forming on his face. He hated the effect Peter had on him. Nova then looked away and decided to change the subject.

"Please just get it over with." Sam said and before Peter could try and change it back, Nova glared at him, conveying a death threat with his eyes. If looks could kill, Peter would probably be dead. The latter partially used to it just ignored and proceeded to remove the piece of rock, embedded in his shoulder.

Nova winced once he heard Peter give a small yelp of pain once he started removing it. He had to be careful before he eradicated it because one false move and he could worsen his condition. Sam prayed to the heavens that his friend's wound wasn't infected and that everything would turn out alright. Pretty soon Peter got rid of the blasted rock piece, but Sam's smile of relief was completely washed away once he heard Spiderman's scream in agony. Apparently his cut was quite deep and it needed medical treatment immediately. Peter then ripped a piece of Sam's costume and both were just about to sigh in relief when the wound started bleeding rapidly. Not knowing what else to do, Sam lowered himself, risking the shield's prevail, until he was flat against Peter's body. This way Nova applied much more pressure to the injury than Peter could've done with his hand.

Peter yelped in surprise once the extra weight came. The next thing that followed was more blushing because their position wasn't one that should happen between friends. Sam's face was buried in Peter's neck. Their legs were tangled and the worst or rather best part of it was that their hips were flush against each other as well. The close proximity between their lower regions sent shivers up Peter's spine.

Unknown to our friendly neighborhood Spiderman was that Sam was dealing with similar problems. Apparently he too was having difficulties with controlling the sudden rush of blood to a certain part of his body. He could only hope Peter was too distracted by the pain to notice. Fortunately, Spiderman was distracted, but by much different things.

Time passed as they waited for S.H.I.E.L.D. to come and rescue them. They could hear how the agents were working. The work machinery was also audible but neither one of them could see even a ray of any kind of light, meaning they would have to wait at least a couple more minutes down there. Not that Peter minded. He was quite enjoying their current situation and was about to take full advantage of it.

"How are you feeling Sam?" Peter asked, savouring the wonderful feeling saying his friend's name gave him. It was quite pleasant to be able to call him by his first name instead of all those rude nicknames or rather pet names as he liked to call them. He couldn't do it on a daily basis because that would raise suspicion from his teammates and that was something he didn't need.

Sam could swear that questioned implied something. The tone it was said in wasn't all that innocent. It had something else to it, but Sam didn't allow himself to think about it too much. After all, there was no way in hell Peter felt something for him that was beyond friendship and even if he did, which he didn't(**A/N: Yes, he does. Sam: No, he doesn't. A/N: Awww, aren't they cute when they're in denial****? ****Peter: You call that cute. We're on the brink of death, woman! How is that cute****?! ****Are you some kind of insane criminal we forgot to lock up in one of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s private cells****? ****A/N…Maybe... Sam and Peter: O.o A/N: Heh, um…on to the story then)**, he wouldn't choose to confess right now. Right? Right?!

"Earth to Sam. I asked you a question." Peter said, trying to keep his chuckles to a minimum, not wanting to give himself away. Of course, he had realized that something had changed when Sam had decided to assist Peter in catering for his wounds. The blush had not subsided, it had increased. The beating of Sam's heart hadn't slowed down at all. His heart rate had actually become faster. And, of course, the little problem Sam was experiencing just bellow his waist. If that wasn't proof enough that Nova harbored feelings for the web slinger, Peter didn't know what was.

"Y-yeah. I heard you when you first said it." Sam replied.

"I didn't repeat the question Sam." Peter responded.

There he went calling him by his name again. Honestly, if Peter kept torturing him like this, Sam didn't know what he would do to the web slinger. One thing was for sure – once his control snapped, there was no telling what might happen.

"O-oh, didn't you? Well, I have misheard you then. I'm feeling fine. Thanks for asking."

"And now you're even being polite. Honestly Sam if I didn't know any better, I'd say you're flirting with me in your own way."

"What?! How is thanking you for being concerned about my feelings for you considered flirting?!" Sam nearly yelled the last part.

Once he realized what he had said, the shade of red turned into that of a tomato. Sam was about to take it all back when he noticed that Peter was chuckling. The idiot had the nerve to laugh at him. Anger kicked in and Sam was about to retort and start teasing Peter when something clicked. Peter wasn't shocked, disgusted, angry, uncomfortable or any of the like. He actually seemed quite pleased with the whole situation and that was when realization hit Sam harder than a tidal wave – Peter knew.

"You jackass. You've known this whole time, haven't you?!"

Peter managed to suppress his chuckles and answer:

"Nope. I found out a few minutes ago when you faced a few problems with your self-control. Honestly, Sam, I never expected to affect you in this way."

Sam didn't know what to say. He was embarrassed and humiliated and obviously the cat was out of the bag. The only thing Sam could do was stare at Peter. Sadly, he couldn't even do that because Peter had decided to surprise him even more.

Before Sam could register what was happening, Peter had uncovered half of his face and had captured Sam's lips with his. The kiss itself wasn't anything special. It was just a small peck on the lips. It was asking for permission to go further, to explore, to find and possibly conquer. It was giving Sam the chance to choose whether he wanted Peter to go on or push him away. Of course, Sam would be an idiot if he had chosen the latter, which was why he didn't. Nova quickly responded to the kiss. It gave a positive answer and before Sam could comprehend what was happening, Peter moved his lips, setting a slow rhythm. He gave Sam enough time to get used to the feeling of having lips against his own.

Peter was having a hard time when it came to controlling himself. It took all of his willpower not to push past Sam's lips and invade his mouth and do oh so many things Spiderman had pictured in his mind far too many times. Fantasies had always been wonderful but this was something not even the most vivid imagination could create. It was the real deal. It was wonderful, amazing, incredible; breathtaking. It literally took Peter's breath away. He loved the feeling of having Sam's lips against his own but once Nova had started kissing back, the sensations that ran through his body were indescribable. Nothing could rival the pure bliss Peter felt once he was certain that he could take things to another level.

The caged fire exploded. The volcano burst and lava started falling. That carnal desire humans often experienced when they had the kiss they'd been dreaming about or once they had the person that had been invading their mind in their arms was unleashed. Every last bit of self-control was destroyed and long forgotten. All boundaries were crossed. All worries, insecurities or any of the like diminished. The only thing that was left was that raging thirst for more, hunger to explore, need to feel and craving for the hidden parts not everyone received the chance to see.

Of course, the need for air made them break apart. Peter could hardly wait to dive in and feel more of that sweet flavor he had just tasted. A triumphant smirk formed on his face once he saw the dazed look Sam had. It grew more as blue eyes traveled lower and noticed how red and bruised Sam's lips had become. Peter suddenly felt the urge to seal their lips once again when they heard voices but the thing that sent Peter over the edge was the fact that his spidey senses were tingling. Something wasn't right and he knew that Sam had sensed it as well.

Just as a small opening was made not too far away from them the earth started shaking once more. The rocks were going to come crashing down once again if they didn't act fast. That was why Sam did the only thing he could think of. He grabbed Peter and used the last bit of his strength to get a solid hold of him. Realizing what Sam was about to do, Peter tried to reason with him, but to no avail. Spiderman tried struggling but Sam was on top of him, meaning he had the upper hand. With one last glimmer of hope, Peter said:

"There has to be another way."

"There is no other way." Sam replied using the last bits of his power to push or rather throw the other out of his soon-to-be grave. He then smiled and added:

"Goodbye. I love you."

Peter hit the ground hard and winced as pain engulfed his whole body. He dismissed it and struggled to get up. He ignored every hand that was offered to help him. Spiderman stood up only to see his friend, his lover, his savior, his teammate – Sam Alexander – disappear under a see of rocks.

Peter fell down on his knees, not feeling any kind of pain whatsoever. He had become numb, completely unfazed by the rushing figures before him. They were all blurred images moving about. The only thing he could focus on were the silent tears that were streaming down his face and Sam's last words. And now he finally dared himself to ask this question:

_Was it really too late__?_


	7. Author's Note

**Author's note: Hi guys. I just wanted to inform you that as of now 24****th**** of July 2014 this story is complete. Don't worry. I'm not going to leave you hanging like that. I'm not that evil or at least haven't become that evil yet. Anyway, there is a sequel. Yes, people. Is! It is called **_A Walk Down Memory Lane_**. It was posted a few minutes ago. You can find it on my profile. Thank you for sticking with me through this wonderful journey, but, unfortunately, everything must come to an end and I am afraid it is time to say goodbye. Ja ne! **

**Until next time I update and/or post a story my fellow readers,**

_~ QueenofRhymes ~_


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